A contingent of economists from over 31 universities has published a statement strongly urging the federal government to stop implementing fiscal austerity measures just to achieve its political goal of budgetary balance by 2015.
The statement points out that today’s policies are similar to those of the 1930s when the economy was stagnant and unemployment high but that federal deficits were not problematic during the war period following when unemployment dramatically declined and the economy rebounded.
British politician Tony Benn once stated it very well: “If you can have full employment by killing Germans, why can’t we have it by building hospitals, schools, recruiting nurses and teachers? If you can find money to kill people, you can find money to help people.”
It’s time for more Canadians to challenge tight-fisted Conservative fiscal policies which are leading us into economic quagmire.
Larry Kazdan
Vancouver